Dino Palmieri Living Social Deal

Dino Palmieri Salon, with several locations through out Cleveland, is offering a hair cut + styling for $19 or a mani/pedi for $46. The West 6th location is just a few steps from the Cleveland City Living office, and I will definitely be stopping in!
View the Dino Palmieri Living Social Deal Here.

Get into the Holiday Spirit at the 2010 Ohio City Christmas Walk and Christmas Festival on December 4

Christmas will be here sooner than we realize, and the busy elves of the Ohio City Christmas Walk Committee are hard at work putting together the second Christmas Walk. This year’s event will take place the evening of Saturday, December 4, 2010, and will showcase homes on Whitman Avenue. Tickets are on sale now online or by phone (call 216.781.3222).

The walk, which was the hottest ticket item for Christmas activities in 2009, is sure to be a hit again as Ohio City showcases another slice of this unique and most historic Cleveland neighborhood that its residents love to show off.

New this year is the Ohio City Christmas Festival sponsored by Great Lakes Brewing Company, a daytime attraction immediately preceding the Christmas Walk. Based on German Weihnachtsmärkte, or Christmas Markets, the festival takes place on December 4 from 11:30 a.m until dusk on Market Avenue in Ohio City’s Market Square District. The street will be closed to traffic and, instead, will be lined with vendors in tents selling chocolates, spices, nuts, ornaments and other Christmas items. Yesteryear Horse & Carriage will provide rides around the neighborhood, Christmas trees and greens will be sold by a local tree farm, and Santa Claus himself will be making an appearance. The Ohio City Christmas Festival is a free event and sure to become a yearly event.

(Article courtesy of Ohiocity.com)

Holiday spirit glows in Winterfest lighting ceremony on Public Square

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Nowadays it can seem hard for Northeast Ohioans to put any ho-ho-ho in the holiday season.

On the one hand, our football fortunes are wobbling on sprained ankles, and the local economy seems as bleak as the gray winter skies.
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But when the other hand is poised to unleash the magic of 4,000 strands of some half-million lights, everything can change with the flick of a switch.

Such was the case Saturday night when the holiday lights blazed on Public Square as part of the day-long Winterfest celebration downtown.

Celebrants jammed Public Square, bundled against the cold, waiting for that first moment of illuminated color.

The mood was festive, like a refrigerated carnival, as vendors worked the crowd, selling pink cotton candy, light wands and red-and-white-striped jester hats that sprouted from heads like candy-cane worms.

As Ralph Howard, 70, of Cleveland, ushered guests into the Cleveland Plus Visitor Center, he didn't seem the least bit mortified to be wearing a pink bunny suit -- a visual reference to the dreaded present given Ralphie in the movie "A Christmas Story," partly filmed in Cleveland.

After all, when you've already dressed like Clifford the Big Red Dog, a Purple Panda and the Cookie Monster for other publicity events, a "snow bunny" fits right in.

People like Ronald Barkley, 64, of Warrensville Heights, were primed to plug in the holiday spirit. "You want to get yourself started, get cranked up," said Barkley, who has visited this annual affair for most of the past 41 years with his wife, Kathy.

"I like being here with everybody, and nobody bothers you," Barkley added.

That Christmas camaraderie also was noted by Brent McNeely, 37, of Sheffield Lake, who wore a Steelers jacket to the lighting ceremony but said nobody in the heart of Browns territory had given him any grief about it.

McNeely had come to the ceremony to celebrate -- both his 17th wedding anniversary with his wife, Tina, and his return to work after being laid off for more than a year.

If there was something bigger than football rivalries going on that night, perhaps it was best illustrated when Santa took the stage just before they lit up the Square.

Waving with one hand at the bearded figure, Vasilios Capuozzo, 7, of Painesville Township asked his father, "Is that the real Santa?"

His father, Joe Capuozzo, looked down and wisely replied, "Yes." His son started waving with two hands.

The switch was flicked and the crowd suddenly came to a quiet hush in the twinkling glow of a red, green, blue, white and gold forest of lights hanging from shimmering tree branches and street lamps.

Ronald Barley's son Jason, 40, who remembered attending this event since he was a little boy, looked around Public Square and mused, "This is my home town. Where else would I be?"

Times are tough, sure. But as Barkley said, "Good news is where you find it."

And Saturday night it was right there on Public Square.

(Article courtesy of Cleveland.com)

Thanksgiving Eve Celebrations

Are you planning on taking part in the bar room festivities the night before Thanksgiving? If you haven't yet been persuaded or are still unsure where to go this list below should be of some help coordinating a great night out for friends and family. Cheers!

Sachsenheim Hall (7001 Denison Ave.)Heavy Metal for The Hungry- A concert that benefits the Cleveland Food Bank.

Liquid Nightclub (1212 West 6th) Thanksgiving eve, and every Wednesday Liquid has Ladies Night with complimentary drinks + dancing all night.

Now That's Class (11213 Detroit Ave.) will be hosting a not so average bar night by putting on a burlesque show.

Roc Bar (1220 Old River Rd) will be hosting an Ugly Sweater party- so bust out your most hideous garb and grab a drink. Designated drivers get their non-alcoholic beverages for free!

The Cleveland Improv Comedy Club and Restaurant (2000 Sycamore Street) Hosts of WNCX 98.5’s “Scott and Jeff Show” will tag-team an unbelievably funny show.

Touch Supperclub ( 2710 Lorain Ave.) Party with some of Cleveland's best DJs.

The Beachland Ballroom (15711 Waterloo Rd.) will be hosting their 5th anniversary 'This Way Out' show.

Great Values Downtown? Look No Further...

Looking to buy a condo downtown? Afraid you can't afford to? Look no further... Cleveland City Living has compiled a small sampling of fabulous deals in Downtown Cleveland. From the Warehouse District to the Gateway Neighborhood, we cover it all!

Warehouse District Condos - $99,900

The Grand Arcade Condos are still among Cleveland's most sensational deals! Centrally located in the Warehouse District above Xo Prime Steaks on West 6th and St. Clair, many of these condos have views of Cleveland's bustling downtown highrises and retail districts. With a newly tuck-pointed rooftop, this condo building is better than it ever was and ready for you to take advantage of it's wonderful values!

Gateway Neighborhood 2-Bedroom/2 Bathroom- $149,900

The Pointe at Gateway, one of downtown Cleveland's most historical and luxurious locations, is offering the deal of the district in it's $149,900 condo overlooking the Q. Unlike many of the other condos in it's price range and size, this Pointe at Gateway condo is selling high-end finishes including granite counter-tops, luxurious cabinetry, an undermounted sink, stainless steel appliances, ceramic tile and wood floors, and track lighting. This one won't last long... want to check it out?

Million Dollar View for Less than $200,000!

The Perry Payne, one of Cleveland's little known condo conversions, has a wonderful condo with a million dollar view priced lower than $200,000! This two bedroom, two bathroom, condo is all about what you get on the outside! Picture yourself cooking dinner or enjoying a glass of wine from your kitchen or open living/dining room, while gazing across vibrant lights of the Historic Warehouse District, out onto Lake Erie. This panoramic view of our Great Lake is one of a kind in this price range.

For more information on any of these condos or living in Cleveland, contact Scott Phillips of Keller Williams Realty Greater Cleveland and request a downtown tour.

Demographic Trends Now Favor DOWNTOWN!

by Jonathan Weber, courtesy of msnbc.com "The Big Money" blog.

“Location, location, location” has been the mantra of the real estate industry for as long as anyone can remember. Still, as the national economy transforms in the wake of the economic crisis, the power of place will prove to be ever more important for a broad range of small businesses.

Most demographic and market indicators suggest that growth and development across the country are moving away from the suburban and exurban fringe and toward center-cities and close-in suburbs.

What's behind this shift? Empty-nesters don't need the big house and don't want to mow the big lawn. High gas prices are making long commutes less practical. The urban renaissance in big cities ranging from New York to Portland, Ore. — and the revival of charming, vibrant downtowns in small cities like Missoula, Mont. — is making the bedroom suburb and the strip mall seem positively dull.

Retailers are the most obviously affected by these trends. For decades, locating a store in a mall on the fringe rather than downtown had a lot of obvious advantages: plenty of easy parking, tons of drive-by traffic from big-box neighbors, and newer buildings with better infrastructure.
These benefits won't disappear overnight. Over the long run, though, they will diminish in importance, especially if more big retail chains and shopping-mall operators go out of business. Downtown shopping districts, meanwhile, will benefit from increased investment and more proximate residents. If we assume, as many economists do, that the country is "over-retailed," some downtown development plans based on more shopping will stall, but the center will still prosper relative to the fringe — and more businesses might find the downtown storefront affordable.

Indeed, the advantages of a good downtown location extend to many businesses that are not dependent on walk-in traffic. At NewWest.Net, our alley storefront with a prominent sign is probably one of our best bits of marketing. Every month, we host an art show as part of the downtown "First Friday" art walk, which brings a lot of people into the office and gives us a chance to chat them up about NewWest.Net. Most meetings don't require getting into a car. Our very effective Downtown Association offers kinship (which can lead to deals) with neighboring businesses.

Locating downtown is sometimes associated with the "buy local" movement — the idea that the community benefits if businesses and consumers spend their money with independent, locally owned businesses. But you don't have to buy into this ideologically to position yourself as the friendly, local alternative to the big national chain, and part of the way to do that is to locate in a cool space — in a historic building, say — rather than a sterile strip mall or office park.

New Condos Start Construction Downtown!

The shovels have hit the dirt at University Lofts as these exclusive condos begin to take shape in Cleveland's "College Town." Appropriately timed with the neighboring Cleveland State University Basketball team making it back to the NCAA Tournament, the University Lofts have begun to take shape and are ready to rise.

Just before St. Patrick's Day rolled through downtown Cleveland, footers were dug at the site of 2030 Euclid Avenue. Before construction began, brothers David and Jay Kaufman (developers) spent tireless hours promoting the project and earning the three pre-sales that were necessary to get the building built. Five condos are still available including Penthouse level units. ESTIMATED OCCUPANCY FOR FIRST QUARTER 2010!

Call Scott Phillips Jr. today at 216.373.6959 or email scottphillips@howardhanna.com.

$8000 Tax Credit Available to First Time Home-Buyers!

That’s right! First time home-buyers are eligible to receive the Federal Government’s $8000 tax credit! In order to receive this wonderful incentive you need to officially own your home by December 1, 2009. Don’t forget, it can take some time for us to find your dream home, so contact Scott Phillips Jr. at (216) 373-6959 or ScottPhillips@howardhanna.com today!

Who is eligible?

Eligible people must not have had ownership interest in a home in the past three years. They must take ownership in their new home by December 1, 2009. Finally, the adjusted gross income must be less than $95,000 for an individual or $170,000 for those filing jointly.

How does it work?

You receive a tax credit when you file your 2009 tax returns of 10% of the sales price of your home (maximum tax credit of $8,000). Tax credit does not have to be repaid as long as you own the home for at least 3 years. Earn your tax savings during your first year of home ownership!

American Idol Winner to Perform at Free Concert on Mall B

The Euclid Corridor project, now appropriately called the "Health Line", opens on October 24-25th to celebrate the re-birth of Euclid Avenue. Headlining this public festival is American Idol winner, Jordin Sparx, who This project has been several years in the making, and has been the subject of great debate over the past three years.

Yes, yes, by now we know that the Health Line will connect University Circle to Public Square. We've heard about and/or seen the cool looking bus stations all along the route. We've even heard about how this is revolutionary, environmentally concsious, and so on... But, will we actually use it? Cleveland City Living decided to ask the people on the streets...

• "We'd probably take it to go downtown for dinner after our shift [is over]" - Kathy & Monica from the Cleveland Clinic.


• "I live in the Statler and work at UH, so it's great for me." - William (Downtown Resident)


• "It's cool, but Euclid Avenue is still pretty much a ghost town." - Jessie (Downtown Resident)


• "I've never really rode the bus before in Cleveland, just Chicago and places like that. Is that weird?" - Emily (Downtown Employee in Tower City)

The general feeling for the remaining posts is optimism for the publicity, excitement over the removal of the orange barrels, and surprise by the suburbanites on what Euclid Avenue is becoming. Most people, in spite of all our marketing efforts, still don't know about the 668 Euclid Avenue Building rennovation, the grand opening of Cadillac Ranch, or even the unprecedented growth on East 4th Street.

Ari Maron, partner at MRN (developers of East 4th St), told me that one day, Euclid Avenue will be the premier street in Cleveland. That day I was looking at abandoned buildings, panhandlers everywhere, paintings in the windows of abandoned store-fronts, and a dreadful streetscape. A great deal has changed since then and from the looks of it, Ari can probably say, "I told you so" in the near future!

Is Our Panhandling Population Shrinking?

It's not your imagination. The population of pan-handlers in Downtown Cleveland is down more than 40% over the past two years! This reduction can be largely credited to the hard working team at the Downtown Cleveland Alliance.

On Friday, October 17th, the Downtown Cleveland Alliance will announce a new program to provide for the homeless called Generocity Cleveland. The press conference will be held in front of Old Stone Church (91 Public Square) at 1:30pm on Friday, October 17th. This initiative includes a new marketing campaign to reduce panhandling, new donation receptacles for people to give to the homeless and a new Mobile Services Unit designed to bring services to the homeless.

Generocity Cleveland is the result of a comprehensive partnership between the City of Cleveland, the faith-based community and Downtown property owners. This new program replaces the Alliance’s “Homeless Education Campaign”, which focused on reducing aggressive panhandling in Downtown. Last year’s campaign message; “Don’t Give Where It Can’t Help” encouraged people to donate to local service agencies rather than panhandlers. Since August of last year, the Downtown Cleveland Alliance Ambassadors have reported a 40% reduction in panhandling incidents. In addition, the Alliance has raised nearly $2,000 that has been used to purchase ID’s and medical supplies for the homeless.

Although the Homeless Education Campaign has been successful, Downtown Cleveland Alliance and faith-based organizations believed that an education campaign was not enough to help the homeless. Downtown stakeholders needed a more complete approach in order to meet both their goals of reducing panhandling and providing care and services to the homeless. Generocity Cleveland addresses both areas of concern through three united fronts: 1) marketing, 2) donations and 3) services.

Marketing: Generocity Cleveland’s marketing campaign replaces the Homeless Education Campaign message with a clearer and more positive message, “Change Where It Counts.” This message still encourages people not to give money to people on the street, but it also encourages them to give money by directing individuals to the new donation receptacles located throughout Downtown. The new message will be on posters and flyers throughout Downtown and will feature an image of the new donation receptacles that will be placed throughout downtown.

Donations: Downtown Cleveland Alliance recently purchased 30 used parking meters from the City of Cleveland to be used as donation receptacles, fifteen of which will be placed at strategic Downtown locations. The Alliance’s committee felt strongly that providing the public with safe donation locations throughout Downtown is the best way to divert funds from panhandlers (many of which are not homeless) to the organizations that serve the homeless everyday. It is not effective to just encourage people not to give to panhandlers, people feel compelled to give. These new donation receptacles allow people to still say no to panhandlers while giving much needed funds to trustworthy organizations that provide for the homeless. Donations are collected as part of the Downtown Cleveland Alliance’s Downtown Homeless Fund. They are used to give homeless people ID’s, birth certificates and other items necessary in order to get off the streets and get their lives back. This donation receptacle strategy is a successful model that has been used in similar cities such as Denver and Baltimore.

Services: Since the creation of the Downtown Cleveland Alliance (2 ½ years ago), DCA has employed a full time social worker to help the Alliance provide direct services to the homeless. Since many homeless in Downtown are “shelter resistant”, it has become necessary for the DCA to be as mobile as possible, in order to meet people where they are at. To better provide services to the homeless, Generocity Cleveland has acquired an old Paratransit vehicle, which has been transformed into a mobile service bus. This vehicle will allow DCA and its partners to better provide services to the homeless and even transport individuals to area shelters if they desire.

"Clevelanders' giving spirit never wavers when taking care of their brothers and sisters, regardless of times or economy", stated Joe Cimperman, councilman of Ward 13. “Generocity Cleveland will provide DCA and our partner organizations the means to continue providing services to the homeless of Downtown Cleveland,” said Joe Marinucci, President of the Downtown Cleveland Alliance. “Providing for the homeless is crucial to building a Downtown that benefits all stakeholders.”

For more information on how you can help please visit http://www.generocitycleveland.org/ or call 216-736-7799.

New Bar Along Euclid Avenue Opens on October 9th

With one month remaining before the "Health Line" grand opening celebration, Euclid Avenue storefronts are beginning to populate with exciting new business. Cleveland City Living has already run stories on the new Cleveland Condos along Euclid Avenue being built at East 4th Street and East 9th Street, as well as the Nexus Cafe originally proposed at 515 Euclid Avenue. Today we prepare you to welcome "Cadillac Ranch" to the Downtown Cleveland nightlife scene.

Cadillac Ranch, a premier All-American bar and grille, will officially open at 200 Euclid Avenue on October 9th. While it's being advertised heavily as a bar, it also carries a full menu including steaks and burgers. This 24,000 square foot establishment will be one of the largest social venues in downtown Cleveland. With over 30 flat panel televisions, 9 full-service bars, and 1 mechanical bull, Cadillac Ranch is sure to continue the excitement of East 4th St. and bring some new life to Euclid Avenue near Public Square.

While we can't predict what will come of the new Euclid Avenue, it's exciting to consider that while so much of America has been challenged by economic downturn, Cleveland has continued to proceed with projects that are adding to our exciting and vibrant downtown community. Looking into the future, a great deal of promise is in store for downtown Cleveland. See you at the ranch!

New Video Highlights Downtown Cleveland

To learn more about downtown living, email Scott.Phillips@realliving.com or call us at 216.986.7716.